Corn popper



April 14,' 1942. W.'E. GUNDELFINGER CORN POPPER Filed July 15, 1940Patented Apr. 14, 1942 iJl'i'D STATES CORN POPPER Application July 15,1940, Serial No. 345,573

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to corn poppers and more particularly toagitators therefor, the particular agitator disclosed being of suchdesign and character that it readily conforms to the bottom of thepopper during the agitating operation.

One object ofthe invention is to provide an agitator which can be madeat a relatively small cost, yet which will produce the desired resultsand make possible the provision of an efiicient agitator in a low pricedpopper.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing. Although the invention is susceptible of a varietyof embodiments, it is unnecessary to fully describe and illustrate morethan one in order to give a full understanding of the invention bothfrom its structural and functional standpoints. Accordingly, I haveillustrated a preferred and desirable embodiment of the invention in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a corn popper structure embodying myinvention, the cover thereof being removed;

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

n the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference character K toindicate generally a popper kettle. The kettle K has a lid L and bothmay be inexpensively formed of sheet metal. The popper illustrated is ofthe electric type, a casing l0 being provided for the heating element(not shown). The terminals for the heating element are illustrated at12.

The kettle K may be supported in any suitable manner as by brackets l3,legs 14 and screws I5. The lid L is provided with the usual knob It forhandling it and with steam-escape openings II.

My agitator consists of a crankshaft l8 journaled in opposite portionsof the wall of the kettle K. To prevent longitudinal movement, a pair ofears 19 are pinched into opposite sides of the crankshaft and enclosedin a sheet metal boss 20. One end of the crankshaft l8 terminates in acrank 2| for operating the agitator.

My agitator further includes a spring wire element 22 having itsterminal ends, indicated at 23 and 2d, wrapped around the crankshaft [8.adjacent washers 25 on the crankshaft IS. The washers 25 inturn arelocated adjacent the Wall of the kettle.

It will be observed that the distancealong the wall of the kettle fromone journal of the crankshaft to the other is a semicircular arc havingthe crankshaft on its diameter. According to my invention, the shape ofthe kettle below the crankshaft is of shallower than semicircularvertical section. Hence the distance along the kettle section as viewedin Figure 2 is less than as viewed in Figure 1.

The coil 23 is wrapped so that it is tighter than the coil 24. Thepurpose of this construction is so that the coil 23 firmly grips thecrankshaft l8, while the coil 24 grips it less firmly. Accordingly, inoperation the wire 22 (which is normally formed semi-circular, as shownby full lines in Figure 1) first conforms to the cylindrical wall of thekettle when the crank 2| is in the position indicated at a. As the crankis rotated, the wire 22 will be dragged across the relatively shallowbottom of, the kettle K, and will be placed under endwise compression,causing it to assume successively positions 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d, asthe crank arm 2| is successively turned to positions a, b, c and d. I

In passing through the various positions illus trated, the wire 22 willdrag forcefully across the bottom of the kettle K, thereby effectivelypreventing sticking and burning of the popcorn, and will effect anefficient agitation of the corn during the popping process. The wire 22is sufficiently light and is resilient enough to effect such scrapingthroughout the entire surface of the bottom of the ketttle from the timethe wire enters at position 22 until it leaves at position 22d inFigure 1. Due to the coil 23 gripping the crankshaft [8 more firmly thanthe coil 24, the left end of the wire at position 22b in Figure 1 willdrag behind the right end, thus producing a letter S or double bowedformation in the wire which permits it to follow the contour of thebottom of the kettle and accommodate itself to the decreased distanceacross the bottom from one journal of the crankshaft I8 to the other atthe lower central position 221) of the agitator. The resiliency of thewire 22 also tends to keep the coils 23 and 24 closely adjacent thewashers 25 and the coils make an inexpensive and effective operativeconnection between the crankshaft; and the agitator. At the same time,the coils serve as a clutch connection which prevents operation of theagitator in a reverse direction.

As many changes could be made in the foregoing construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It isalso to be understood that the language used in the following claims isintended to cover all of the generic and specific features of theinvention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be considered as fallingtherebetween. 1 i

I claim as my invention: I I

1. In a corn popper construction, a popper kettle circular in horizontalsection, having a substantially cylindrical vertical wall, ahorizontally arranged crank shaft journalled through opposite portionsof said cylindrical wall on a diameter of said kettle, the portion ofsaid kettle below said crankshaft constituting a dished bottom ofshallower than semicircular vertical section, and an agitator element onsaid shaft comprising a normally U-shaped spring wire having theterminal ends of its arms mounted on said crank shaft only by wrappingtherearound, whereby the shaft may be freely rotated in one direction,and said wrappings will frictionally grip the crankshaft when it isrotated in the other direction, said wrappings being located on saidcrank shaft adjacent said wall of said kettle pings being substantiallyhalf the internal circumference of said kettle on a horizontal planethrough said crank shaft.

2. A com popper including a kettle circular in horizontal section, ahorizontally arranged crank shaft journalled on a diameter of saidkettle, the portion of said kettle below said crank shaft constituting adished bottom of shallower than semicircular vertical section, and anagitator element comprising a bowed length of spring wire having itsends mounted on said crank shaft adjacent I the walls of the kettle, thelength of said wire between said mountings being approximately half theinternal circumference of said kettle on a horizontal plane through saidcrank shaft.

3; A com popper including a kettle circular in horizontal section, ahorizontal crank shaft journalled on a diameter of said kettle, theportion of said kettle below said crank shaft constituting an upwardlyconcave bottom of shallower than semi-circular vertical section, and anagitator element on said shaft comprising a bowed length of spring wirehaving its terminal ends mounted on said crank shaft only by wrappingtherearound, whereby the shaft may be freely rotated in one direction,and said wrappings will frictionally grip the crankshaft when it isrotated in the other'direction, said wrappings being located on saidcrank shaft adjacent the walls of the kettle, the length of said wirebetween said mountings being slightly'greater than half the internalcircumference of said kettle on a horizontal plane through said crankshaft.

